Collapsible coiling head for electrically contacting insulated cable



Jan. 6, 1953 E. D. HANSON 2,624,771

COLLAPSIBLE COILING HEAD FOR ELECTRICALLY CONTACTING INSULATED CABLE Filed April so, 194s /M/E/VTOR E. D. HANSON G .3 By F/ ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITED ISTAT-ES Ar ENT rst-'ye i). dansen, 'Baltimora Ma., assignent Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New Yorky'N. Y., a corporation of New York applicati@ April so, 194s, sei-iai No. 24,313

`1 Claim.

Y This invention relates Ato collapsible coiling heads, and more particularly toA cbllapsible coiling heads including means Vfor securing articles to be wound thereto. O y l n In coiling lamentary articles, such `as tapes, conductors, or the like, upon collapsible coiling heads, it is essential to secure the end of the article to the head each time acoirling operation is started. Where such a head is used with continuously operating apparatus forA advancing a filamentary article to the head 'and for processing the article as the article is advanced to the head, its is advantageous that the article be quickly attached to the head each time a coiling operation is started so that the continuous processing operation be interrupted as'slightly as possible. Furthermore, where an insulated conductor is being wound upon a collapsible coiling head and is tested electrically as it is'wound thereon, it is sometimes essential to connect the Vconductor electrically to the head to form a part of the electrical testing circuit. In the past there has been no satisfactory apparatus for quickly connecting an insulated conductor both mechanically and electrically to a coiling head.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved collapsible coiling heads.

A further object of the invention is to provide new and improved collapsible coiling heads including means for securing a filamentary article thereto.

An apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may include a collapsible coiling head having a pair of sections movable relative to one another, and a pair of clamps mounted on the sections and movable into clamping relationship for clamping a ilamentary article to the head sections when the sections are moved relatively in one direction.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description of a collapsible coiling head forming a specic embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevation of a collapsible coiling head forming one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, vertical section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View taken along line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail -to the drawing, there is shown a collapsible coiling head 'l for coiling a covered conductor 8 thereon to form a coil 9, the convolutions of which may be tied together for further handling of the coil. The collapsible vf2 coiling head is grounded electrically, vand includes a solid head section I0., having arms IIL-I Il'projecting therefrom. Collapsiblev'segments IZ'I'Z Aare secured to the arms II,`II by pins, 'of which a pin I3 is shown. The collapsiblesegmentsmay be pivoted toward the arms I I'I I t'o closed positions, as shown in solid Vlin'es in Fig.' 2, toform with the solid'se'ction III a coiling head for coil'- ing the covered conductor 8,and 'maybelatched in this condition by a latch I6. The latch I'S may be actuated 'to permit the segments to'be moved 'to open positions, as vshown in 'broken lines, to permit removal of a `finished coil. vThe features of the collapsible coiling headd'escribed hereinabove are vdisclcsedand claimed in Patent 2,459,336 granted January 18,1949-, on cop'ending applicationSerial No. 704,819,1iled October 22, 1946, `by RR. Powell, -for Collapsible Reels.

A blade 20 v(Figs. 2 and v3) iis' secured'in'a socket 22 in a'drurn portion24 of vone of thearms II-I I of the solid head section I0 by cap screws 25-26. A blade 30 is secured adjustably in a socket 32 formed in one of the segments I2-I2 by cap screws 3lI-34 secured in tapped bores S-S formed in the blade 30 and adjustment screws 38-38 screwed into tapped boresl 40-40 formed in a lug 42 of the drum portion of the segment I2. Nuts 46-46 lock the adjustment screws in their adjusted positions. The cap screws 34-34 extend through elliptical holes 48-48 formed in the reel segment I2 and may be loosened to permit the blade 30 to be adjusted toward or away from the blade 20. The adjustment screws 33-38 may be adjusted to engage the blade 30 and the cap screws 34-34 are retightened to securely lock the blade 30 in its adjusted position.

An electrical test set 50 (Fig. l) for testing the insulating qualities of an insulating covering 54 (Fig. 2) enclosing a conductor 56 of the insulated conductor 8 includes an electrode 58 (Fig. 1) for contacting the periphery of the covering 54 at an electrical potential different from the potential of the ground. A capstan advances the conductor 8 continuously past the test set toward the collapsible coiling head.

lOperation,

To start a coiling operation with the collapsible coiling head described hereinabove, an end of the insulated conductor 8 is placed between the blade 2li and the blade 30, which have been moved apart by moving the segments I2I 2 to their open positions. The blades 20 and 30 are positioned near the edges of the arm II and the segment I2 to which they are attached so that the conductor may be inserted by lateral movement thereof, which is much easier than endwise threading of the conductor. The segments l2-I2 then are moved to their closed positions. This moves the blade 30 toward the blade 29, and wedges the conductor 8 tightly between these blades. As the blades are moved together, the blades cut through the insulating covering 54 of the insulated conductor 8 and dig into the conductor 5E to make electrical contact with the conductor and to secure the covered conductor mechanically to the grounded head. Electrical contact of the blades with the end of lthe conductor 56 grounds the conductor. If the insulating qualities of the portion of the insulating covering 54 contacted by the electrode 58 of the test set 50 are poor, current flows through this portion f the insulation to the conductor 56 and then through the conductor, the blades 20 and 30, and the head to ground. This flow of current is indicated by the test set.

After the reel segments I2-I2 have been moved to their clOsed positions, thereby connecting the insulated conductor 8 mechanically to the collapsible coiling head and connecting the conductor 56 electrically to the head, the head is rotated to coil the insulated conductor 8 thereon. After a predetermined length of the covered conductor has been coiled on the head to form the coil 9, rotation of the head is stopped, the coil is tied, the conductor is cut, and the segments I2-I 2 are unlatched and moved to their open positions. Collapsing the head moves the blade 30 away from the blade 20 to release the end of the conductOr, and the coil 9 then is removed from the head. The operation described hereinabove then may be repeated to form another coil.

The above-described apparatus serves to connect the insulated conductor mechanically to the coiling head and to connect the conductor electrically to the head merely by moving the segments I2-I2 to their closed positions. It also serves to disconnect the conductor 8 both mechanically and electrically from the head merely by moving the collapsible segments to their open positions.

What is claimed is:

A collapsible head for coiling and electrically contacting an insulated conductor, which comprises a rotatable shaft, a plurality of arms radially mounted on and secured to the shaft, each of said arms having a drum portion serving as a winding surface for receiving convolutions of a coiled conductor, a plurality of convolution retaining segments pivotally mounted one for each upon the arms, said segments being pivotally movable in planes radially intersecting the axis of the shaft between a collapsed position towards the shaft and a noncollapsed position in which they extend radially outward therefrom, a knife blade secured to the drum portion of one of the arms, and a second knife blade secured to one of the pivoted segments and positioned to face the rst-mentioned blade, whereby the pivotal movement of the segments towards their noncollapsed position will cause the blades to engage a portion of the conductor and penetrate the insulation thereon to contact the conductor.

ESTYLE D. HANSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,346,812 Duston July 20, 1920 1,500,641 Sabourin July 8, 1924 1,845,526 Spence Feb. 16, 1932 1,977,677 Hill Oct. 23, 1934 2,459,336 Powell Jan. 18, 1949 2,476,635 Spisak July 19, 1949 

